under the stars
by ReluctantMuse
Summary: maerad/cadvan erotica fanfic. enjoy :


Maerad and Cadvan lay silently under a copse of beech trees, pondering the stars. The gentle wind lifted Maerad's hair with silken fingers, setting it to dancing over Cadvan's face. Closing his eyes, he breathed in her sweet, earthy smell, each tendril swirling in an ethereal waltz over his warm skin. He longed to reach over and draw her close to him, a cloak against the cool Annaren breeze. But he dared not. She was as skittish as a hare. Still, he yearned to feel her heart beat against his, the smooth flesh of her face buried in the space between his neck and shoulder. Tenderness stirred in him as his thoughts flitted through his mind. He'd never felt this way about anyone before, not even Nerili.

Suddenly, Cadvan realized that Maerad was asleep. He chanced a glance in her direction. Her eyes were closed, her lashes dark shadows against her flushed cheeks in the moonlight, her breathing deep and even. His heart leapt upward at how simply beautiful she looked. In this light, it almost seemed that he could see the Elidhu in her, that mysterious, elemental creature barely glimpsed within her except in unguarded moments such as these. He could almost see her dancing with Ardina under the moonlight, graceful and alluring. There was something wild within her, the lure of which was very difficult for him to resist. There were times when he thought if he didn't touch her, he would die. Unable to tell himself no, he would gently wind his arm around her waist under the guise of helping to steady her, or grasp her hand in his as a silent gesture of solidarity. Although she didn't know it, they were merely flimsy excuses to be close to her.

He continued to stare at Maerad, noticing, not for the first time, how in the cool glow from the stars silver threads entwined themselves in her ebony locks. Slowly, for fear of waking her in this nearly perfect moment, he brushed the stray locks of hair from her face. In her sleep she purred, setting fire to Cadvan's blood. She couldn't know, but it was exactly the sound he'd imagined her making after she'd been thoroughly pleasured--by him. What he wouldn't give to initiate her into the secret rites of love! By the Light, he loved her so much he could barely breathe for the wealth of emotion that filled his chest.

His hand journeyed from her hair to her maimed hand, slowly and softly clasping it. He studied the faint scar the amputation of her fingers had left, a white, puckered line running jaggedly over where her digits had once been. He had wanted to murder the Jussacks who'd allowed this to happen to his Maerad, but somehow he remembered the Balance and tried to push the violent thoughts to the back of his head. He placed her hand next to her body on the ground and again brushed the hair from her face. Leaning down, he pressed his lips against her forehead, his touch as soft as a butterfly landing on a flower. "Sleep well, my heart," he whispered against her skin.

"Cadvan," she whispered, her eyes fluttering open. The intense blue of her irises transfixed him, and he couldn't even find it within himself to be embarrassed of getting caught in this indecent situation. "What's going on, Cadvan?"

Her sleepy, husky voice made him glow, even though by now he knew he needed to get away, breathe, do something, do anything to avoid moving his lips to hers and just taking what he needed so badly..."Nothing, Maerad. I apologize profusely for this intrusion. Please...forgive me." He moved away and stood up, every nerve in his body screaming for the drug that was Maerad.

"Please, Cadvan, don't leave," she whispered, knowing the words would be heard with his Bardic hearing. "I'm...anxious."

Still on his feet, he faced her and looked imploringly into her azure eyes. "Of what, dear heart?" The endearment was not something he had intended to say, but it fell so easily off his tongue that he hadn't even registered the words as improper. They just seemed...right.

Maerad sat up and beckoned Cadvan to sit next to her. He hunkered down beside her, once again inhaling her clean fragrance. She turned her face away, staring across the plains. The mottled light of the stars drew ghostly shadows across her face, light here, dark there. He saw more than heard her swallow hard.

"I...I don't know if I should say anything," she uttered, looking down at her hands. Her face seemed to tense as she looked at her scar, and she swiftly drew her gaze away.

"Look at me, Maerad." Cadvan's voice was soft, but brooked no disobedience. Her eyes flicked to his, and he was started to see the nervousness in them, just for a nanosecond, for then her eyes darted back down.

"Maerad." This time she met his tender stare, albeit with considerable effort. Cadvan sensed that she was struggling with embarrassment at what she wanted to say. He took her hands in his, deftly stroking her palms with his thumbs. The tiny shiver that passed from her to him did not go unnoticed. "You don't have to be ashamed. Whatever it is, you can tell me. You can always tell me when something is troubling you. There is no burden you have to bear alone."

"Oh, Cadvan...I don't know how to say it." She moved her body in the grass, trying to get a more comfortable position. "I...I've been thinking, ever since Dernhil..." Here her voice quavered slightly. "I wish I would've had the courage...to try, with him...to try to...love him." Her tongue swept over her plump lips, and Cadvan trailed the tiny movement, suddenly having trouble taking his next breath. "And...I realized something. I don't want to be afraid anymore. Of love, of men, of trusting someone. I want...."

Cadvan had to close his eyes for a moment. His heart was thundering in his chest. A foolish, wild hope sprung up somewhere deep in his core. Maybe she wanted him, maybe...no. She didn't deserve someone like him, so flawed, so dark. The flame of hope that had just flickered inside him went out.

"What is it that you want, Maerad?" Cadvan asked, being careful to keep his tone politely interested. He could not show her how deeply she was affecting him.

"I want to know what it's like...to love someone. Someone I trust, and who cares about me, too...I don't know...I'm being so silly."

"It is no silly thing to wish to be loved, Maerad. Those who find true love are lucky and few."

"Oh, Cadvan, will you teach me?" The words poured forth from her mouth unbidden, like a waterfall breaking its dam.

His heart stopped in his chest, then throbbed back into a frantic cadence. Did she just ask him to...? "Maerad, are you asking me...to teach you...the ways between a man and a woman?"

"I...I'm sorry... I never should have asked that of you, I know that. I just thought...since you're the only man I've ever trusted...oh..." Her voice caught on a mortified sob, but bravely she finished. "You're the only one I would ever trust enough to do that."

He moved just the tiniest iota closer to her side. "Maerad, you must know what you're asking before I can give you an answer. You understand that you are saying that you want me to--" He gulped, trying to control his breathing. "to...make love to you. To take you as my lover." Then, he, Cadvan, realized that he was almost ready to run away from this girl, this creature who had ensnared him so tightly that he would never be free of her. She alone had the power to make him sink to his knees and beg her to never leave his side. Every cold, lonely night...oh, by the Light, just one night with Maerad would make up for every single one of them.

"Yes, Cadvan, that is what I'm asking of you."

"B-but, what of Arkan?"

Her eyes met his with a ferocity he had not expected. "Do not mention Arkan. I wish to never hear his name again. It was merely the Elidhu in me responding to him, like to like. I would never ask him to...to...do what I've asked of you."

Cadvan's blood ran like magefire through his veins, and he hardened as he listened to her words. "I will only do this if you're certain, Maerad. Only if you've thought about all the repercussions this will have for us."

She laughed suddenly, a melodious sound that made him smile as well. "Oh, Cadvan! It's all I've been able to think of! So...are you saying you're willing to do this for me?" A shadow crossed her face. "Please don't feel as though you have to do it. I would never want you to do something you were not inclined to do."

"Come here, Maerad, " he whispered in a tone of voice he'd never used with her before. Startled, she met his eyes. She instantly recognized the suppressed desire she saw there and wondered why she hadn't seen it before. He'd looked at her in this manner countless times, and always she had imagined he was thinking hard about something completely unrelated. With a small thrill of fear, and something else she had no name for, she obeyed his command. She sat between his outspread legs, her face a mere inch or two from his.

"If at any point you are uncomfortable, or do not wish to continue, tell me at once." Cadvan smiled at her as she nodded silently, her face beautiful and unsure and frightened and aroused all at the same time. "Close your eyes, dear one. I'm going to kiss you now. If you dislike it, or it scares you, tell me. I will stop as soon as the words are spoken." Again she nodded, looking more afraid by the second.

"Close your eyes, Maerad," he whispered as his face slowly closed the distance between them. Finally, his lips met hers in the gentlest kiss possible. Desire rushed through him, hot and hard, but he forced himself to remain calm. Every instinct he possessed was screaming at him to go more quickly, to coerce her lips open so he could plunder her mouth with his tongue. But he was stronger than the lust coursing through him...for now. At the moment, he merely brushed his lips against hers, savoring their softness and texture. Her warm breath stirred against his nose. She was as tense as a wound up toy, and he ached to give her as much pleasure as this small contact was giving him. Carefully, so as not to make her feel trapped, he traced the shadows tattooed on her cheeks by the stars. He could tell she was terrified, but he sought only to offer her the comfort of his warmth, his love. His lips placed light kisses against hers as his fingers stroked her face. Gradually, he began to notice a change within her. The fear was still there, but it seemed to subside by the minute as he felt the first, tentative stirrings of response in her.

He groaned softly as she shyly kissed him back, mimicking his movements against his lips. He felt himself harden at her amateurish movements, so arousing in their innocence. She was the Fire Lily, his Elednor, and no other man would ever have her. He was the once she chose to give her innocence, her body, and hopefully, her heart, to. He cooed at her, encouraging her burgeoning desire. His hands slid to her shoulders, cradling her against his chest. Her small breasts pressed against him, and all he could think of in that moment was how sweet it would be to touch her there, to stoke the kindling fire building inside her. Unwittingly, her hands awkwardly clutched the cloth of his tunic, drawing him closer. She opened her mouth on a sigh, and he took advantage of it, pressing his tongue to hers for the first time.

She pulled away quickly, her eyes snapping up to his. Her lips were fuller than usual, made so by his kisses. Worry clouded his mind as he met her gaze. There was heat there, and also a trace of trepidation. "Did I do something you didn't like, Maerad?" he asked softly.

Shaking her head swiftly, she replied, "No, no. You just...surprised me. I am scared, but I didn't know it would feel like...this."

"How does it feel, my beauty?"

"So...good. So...right. Can...can we try that again?" she murmured timidly, her cheeks flaming with a mixture of emotion.

Instead of answering, Cadvan again melded their lips together. This time, she wasn't nearly as shy as before. Her lips responded to his the instant they met. She slanted her lips over his, trying different angles and pressures. Cadvan let her take the lead, not wanting her to pull away again. His hands traveled over her back, kneading the supple flesh beneath her tunic. Even through the thin material, he could imagine how her bare skin would feel underneath his hands. Tentatively, Maerad opened her mouth and brushed her tongue against his, a questioning stroke that made him quiver against her. She paused at his reaction, then became slightly bolder, dragging her tongue across his, learning his unique taste. He was intoxicated with her scent, her flavor. He ached with desire, half of him wishing to push her down on the ground and take her then and there. The other, more rational half managed to bury his baser instincts underneath his feelings for her. He knew she was untouched, and wary, and he had no intention of chasing her away. She was finally within his reach, and nothing, no agent of Light or Dark, was going to pry her from his grasp.

The kiss went on for what seemed like an eternity, gentle and intense. Repeatedly, Cadvan sipped at her lips, feeling inebriated and giddy with her sweet taste. Maerad murmurred against his lips, indistinct words of endearment and trust that had no reason for sending electricity zipping along his veins, but they did all the same. Maerad somehow ended up on his lap before either of them knew what had happened. She seemed entranced, as if in a spell, as she moved her hands from his cloak to her face, pulling away to better judge his reaction to her innocent caresses. As he met the burn of her gaze, she traced his cheekbones, then slid her fingers to his kiss-swolen lips. She reveled in the stark contrast between the rough texture of his skin and the silkiness of his mouth. Unable to resist, he kissed her fingertips as she drew unintelligible patterns on his lips. Her eyelids fell closed at the intimate gesture, and he felt her tremble slightly against him. His heart thundered inside him as he studied the soft contours of her body, embraced lovingly by the light of the moon. Her supple breasts strained against the thin material of her tunic, and he could just make out the seductive outline of her nipples, already hardened by their brief interlude. Her waist dipped sharply in and then flared gracefully into her hips. He tried not to think about the feel of her softness on top of him, pressing so insistently against the proof of his desire. If any doubt still lingered in her mind about his wanting her, he thought wryly, it would surely be chased away by the swollen flesh that attested to just how much he needed her.

"Cadvan," she whispered, looking deeply into his eyes once again.

"Yes, love?" He stared at her, transfixed by how absolutely sensual she was. His heart constricted with his overwhelming need and love for her.

"I want...more," she broke off with a toss of her hair and a breathy sigh. "But I don't know what exactly it is that I crave...."

"Maerad, it's as simple as telling me your desires. If you'd like to be kissed, or touched...and where...."

Maerad fretfully studied the ground. Cadvan traced his fingers over the dip in her waist, gratified by a sudden movement that pressed her soft core against his hips and a purr.

"I...liked that," she informed him shyly, again bravely returning his stare.

"Then I shall not stop." Again and again his hands roamed her curves, carefully steering clear of the lush globes of her breasts. His hands itched with the need to stroke her there, but he sensed that she was not quite ready for that yet. Instead, he brought his lips to hers, losing himself in the extraordinary fog that Maerad was creating within him. His limbs were pleasantly heavy and thrumming with a sort of energy he'd never before felt. Fleetingly he wondered if Maerad's Elidhu heritage had something to do with it, and he was startled when Maerad suddenly leaned forward, her breasts unintentionally spilling into his open palms.

His eyes snapped open in surprise, but the achingly beautiful expression on her face surprised him even more. Her eyes were closed in blissful joy, and unknowingly her hips began to undulate against his, an instictive response to the unadultered pleasure infusing her body. Her exquisitely turgid nipples pressed against his palms, aching to be loved.

"Maerad, how do you feel?" He knew she was enjoying herself immensely, but he needed to hear the words slip from her dewy lips. He cautiously squeezed the delicious flesh and was rewarded with a sharp moan of unbridled lust.

"Oh, Cadvan...never in my entire life has anything felt so right."

He growled at her response, his control sliding a bit. He couldn't stop himself from running a fingertip over one of the hardened peaks, eliciting a moan from her and a shudder from deep inside him. His erection was throbbing most insistently now, urged on by her unbridled response. He caressed her breasts with something near reverence, his eyes not missing a single note of the myriad expressions rippling across her face. His Maerad was shy no longer, but almost seemed like a feral cat, lost in the erotic pull of the new, foreign feelings flooding her senses. Her skin leapt with each small movement of his fingers. Her skin burned like she'd stepped into an inferno. Unabashedly she pushed his shoulders until he was lying flush on the cool grass. She hungrily devoured his lips, never ceasing the inexperienced rolling of her hips on his. Her hands stroked his body everywhere within reach, starting little blazes wherever they roamed. His hands kept up their ministrations on her breasts, testing their weight in his hands, stroking a nipple into diamond hardness, lusciously squeezing them in his hands. He was powerless to stop her sensual onslaught, and he worried slightly that he wouldn't be able to cease even if she asked it of him. Every fiber of his being burned to join with Maerad, to give her pleasure and seek his own in turn until neither of them could move, spent with passion under the stars. Soon, even this was not enough. She was not close enough. With trembling hands and an unsteady smile, he uttered her name.

"Cadvan," she almost cooed into his ear, her breath sending zigzags of light down his spine.

"I...would very much like to feel your skin against me, dearest," He momentarily stopped touching her, giving her space to think about his rather forward request.

She hesitated, but only for the merest of minutes. "I think I would like that...but Cadvan, I'm not very beautiful...."

Cadvan wanted to laugh at her statement, but the combination of fear and embarrassment mingled with the lust in her eyes stopped him. "Maerad, you are so beautiful that it almost causes me pain to look at you. Your light is so bright, my love...I cannot imagine anything more perfect to look upon than you."

As he spoke, Cadvan's hands snaked under the fabric of her shift and grazed her hot skin. At this contact, he groaned and slowly lifted the thin material up, inch by inch. He wanted to give her time to stop him, should she decide to. But, despite the anxiety in her eyes and the red stain blazing across her cheeks, she did not attempt to do so. Instead she sat still as a statue astride him and allowed him to disrobe her.

For a brief moment, all Cadvan could do was stare at the incredible body he'd exposed. Her breasts looked just as good as they felt, small and high with full, rosy nipples. Her alabaster skin shone in the moonlight, and not a single mole marred the beauty of its marble smoothness. The exposed flesh was creamy and soft.

He glanced up at Maerad, and at once she read the pure lust in his eyes. Only earlier this afternoon she would have run away screaming, but now...his open, lusty stare made her feel like a goddess. She'd never thought herself particularly pretty, but under his eyes she felt lovely and delicate and...sexy. Slowly he leaned his head forward, toward her breasts, silently asking her approval with his eyes. She nodded, and Cadvan felt for the first time her naked skin against his lips.

An animalistic sound ripped from Maerad's throat, and for a time-stopping second he thought she was going to push him away. Then, quite unexpectedly, her hands cupped the back of his head and pushed his lips more firmly against her breasts.

Nearly dizzy with the lust ravaging his body, Cadvan greedily closed his mouth around one nipple. She swayed above him, clutching his shoulders for balance, her breath coming so fast that under any other circumstances Cadvan would've feared for her. Her sweet honeyed taste blindsided him; even after he'd tasted her lips, the flavor of her skin took him by surprise. He suckled her gently at first, then not so gently as the sound of her frenzied moans drugged him further. He raked his teeth over her flesh, her shivers and cries reverberating throughout his body like war drums. His hands slid down her back and to her bottom, pushing her womanhood even harder against him. She had absolutely no idea what every small shift of her hips did to him. Her naked femininity rasped over his tunic and against him, robbing his mind of all conscious thought. All he could think of now was touching her, tasting her, burying himself inside her. His fingertips danced along the smooth skin of her thighs, coming ever closer to her hot center. Some little voice in the back of his mind told him to wait, slow down, but he was beyond hearing it. He was too far gone in his need for her to wait much longer. And, if he judged correctly, she was just as eager as he was.

Finally, after an excruciatingly leisurely sojourn up her legs, his hand brushed the curls shielding her core. She shivered, and her eyes burned into his with all the intensity of her magic. On a broken whisper, she asked him to do something to assuage the delicious ache that lived inside her. His blood roared in his ears as he complied.

Hot. Wet. Soft. His thoughts were limited to one word statements as he discovered the essence of Maerad. She cried out his name, and it was lucky that no travellers had strayed close this night, as everyone within a league would have heard her urgent shout. Desperate with wanting her, with needing to give her pleasure, he found the hidden nub between her folds and delicately stroked her. Her wetness welcomed him, beckoned him to go inside, but he held off. Although her body was clearly more than ready, he did not want to shock Maerad with an invasion of her most intimate place. Her entire body was racked with spasmodic shudders as she moved against him in a rhythm as old as time. Her eyes were glazed over with lust, and every muscle in her slim body was straining toward a cataclysmic release. "Please, Cadvan," she whispered, not knowing what it was that she was asking for, but knowing that she needed something...something that was just beyond her reach.

"Maerad, I'm going to enter you with my fingers. If you don't like it, I will stop. Just tell me, " he breathed raggedly. Despite his words, he had no idea of how he would be able to stop once he felt the full, tangible force of her arousal. But he would. He would force himself to, somehow....

Her only response was an incoherent groan. As slowly as he was able, he pressed his finger inside of her tight, hot sheath. A moan erupted from both of them as he explored her most secret flesh. Her wetness eased the passage and he began a slow, steady rhythm. He nearly came as he felt her tighten almost impossibly around him. By the Light, he hadn't imagined anything could feel so perfect, so utterly right....

"Cadvan, please! I...need you, I can't take anymore."

Quickly Cadvan yanked off his suddenly restrictive clothing, and his bare flesh felt her, all of her, for the first time. Her breasts splayed over his chest as he rolled her over so she was beneath him. She stared in amazement as his naked body, crisscrossed with scars long since healed. His muscles were tight and lean, and he was fully aroused as he knelt before her.

"Maerad."

She reluctantly lifted her gaze from his beautiful form to his eyes, a conflagration of need ignited deep within them. "Maerad, the first time...for a woman...tends to be painful. If I hurt you, please tell me so I can stop."

She nodded, old fears foolishly rushing to the front of her mind. What was she afraid of? Cadvan would never hurt her on purpose, would never do anything to upset her. He loved her. And she loved him as well, with all her heart and soul.

Cadvan kept her gaze as he positioned himself outside her opening. He debated whether he should go slowly, or whether he should plunge quickly inside and get all the pain out of the way. He decided on the latter, and swiftly he entered her, feeling her maidenhead give way with the force of his thrust.

Maerad's body screamed in pain. She whimpered, and tears stung her eyes. Through the veil of lust, Cadvan registered the expression in her eyes and held her close.

"Oh, Maerad, I'm so sorry to cause you pain," he whispered, trying desperately not to move inside her and make it any worse. But, by the Light, she felt so amazingly good. Her walls were snug and hot, and her wetness eased his way. He felt her contract around him, and he very nearly lost control. Maerad's eyes were screwed up tight, and a single tear trailed down her flushed cheek. "Would you like me to stop?"

"No," came her automatic but somewhat weak response. "Please don't stop. I want to do this."

Seeking to alleviate her discomfort, Cadvan slipped a hand between their joined bodies and stroked the sensitive nub between her legs. She gasped, and instinctively her hips moved against his, drawing him in and out of her. A little roughly, Cadvan clasped her hips in his hands and stilled her.

"Slowly, Maerad, slowly," he whispered, overwhelmed by everything about her. "I need to go slowly right now."

"I don't understand...does it not please you?"

"It pleases me very much...too much. I do not want this to end without you finding pleasure as well. I love you, Maerad...."

"And I you, Cadvan." By now, the pain that had taken her by surprise had completely disappeared, and she registered a warm, wonderful stretching that fueled her need for completion. Seeing the hurt disappear from her eyes, Cadvan set a slow, steady rhythm, allowing Maerad to adjust to this new feeling. He closed his eyes and concentrated on keeping his thrusts smooth and unhurried. Exquisite sensations shot through his body, making it ever more difficult to go slowly. Maerad began matching him thrust for thrust, her entire body writhing beneath him. Her cries echoed throughout the night, and he unintentionally sped up his pace, drowning in the feel of her, the smell of her...everything about her was so intoxicating he could barely breathe. Their coupling quickly became frenzied and frantic. Cadvan felt himself drawing inexorably toward his completion, and he felt powerless to stop it. He again caressed that sensitive spot between her legs, and in one brilliant, shining moment they both exploded. Cadvan's body shuddered incontrollably, and beneath him he felt Maerad buck and tremble with her own release. He held her close, his love for her radiating from his every pore.

A while later, as they lay curled into each other in the cool night, Maerad finally spoke. "Cadvan, that was...there are no words for that. I love you, so very much."

"And I love you, Maerad. Making love has never been like that for me before, not ever."

With the soft cool air of the night enveloping them, they drifted to sleep on the wings of a bird, while the stars shone brightly down on them.


End file.
